they are metropolitan police officer daniel hodges, the former capitol police sarge wnt aquilina garnell, and harry dunn. all have said they want to be there, bear witness to trump's arraignment. you're going to remember how powerful it was. we want to remind you, when they publicly shared their accounts of the physical and emotional trauma they endured. >> i was effectively defenseless and gradually sustaining injury from the increasing pressure of the mob. directly in front of me a man seized the opportunity of my vulnerability and grabbed the front of my gas mask and used it to beat my head against the door. i knew i couldn't sustain much more damage. at best, i would collapse and be a liability to my colleagues. at worst, dragged down into the crowd and lynched. unable to move or signal the officers behind me, i did the only thing i could do and screamed for help. >> my rationale out there, we can't let these people in no matter what. even if it costs my life. >> people need to understand the severity and the magnitude of the event that was happening that day. we were all fighting fo

metro police officer daniel hodges, who was pinned between two doors by rioters. his aide, walt nauta, who is charged with trump in the classified documents case, holding the umbrella for the former president. trump speaking to the cameras in the rain, before taking off to new jersey. >> this is a persecution of a political opponent. this was never supposed to happen in america. >> david: the former president at reagan airport. the whole team with me here tonight. first to pierre, and it wasn't just donald trump in that courtroom today. the special counsel, jack smith, also there. >> well, trump spoke today, but smith did not fr. from now on, we will only hear him speak in court. he was there to speak volumes. number one, i did this, i am prosecuting you, donald trump. and he wanted to support his staff. hearing is coming up august 28th. the case will start to unfold. >> david: august 28th, just a couple of weeks from now. pierre, thank you. let's get to katherine faulders, live outside the courtroom. katherine, the first legal fight in that courtroom today was ov

metropolitan police officer daniel hodges. he joins us now. daniel, it's good to see you again.no one will ever forget the video of you being crushed as you all were trying to hold the line and hold back rioterses on that day. with that in mind, what does this indictment mean to you as someone on the front lines defending the capitol that day? >> this indictment has been a long time coming, and i'm grateful it's finally here, and in so many ways it's just the beginning, really. so while it is great to finally see some movement on that front, it's just another step in the process. so i'm looking forward to the trial, and i'm looking forward to being as speed as it is effective. >> does this feel like accountability to you? >> like i said, it's a step in the process. accountability is the end of the trial when he is hopefully found guilty of these crimes and his sentencing is carried out. that is personal accountability for trump and hopefully his co-conspirators. ultimate accountability would be cultural. how the name donald trump would be held in disgust by americans, but that's

one of those injured that day is police officer daniel hodges seen here being crushed with his own shielde the capitol, screaming in pain. officer hodges is here with me now. it's very good to see you. we discussed this and whether we could show it again. you said it's okay with you. >> yeah. >> we know there's been so much -- the indictment detailing how much mr. trump and his alleged co-conspirators were counting on violence, talking about it. they are not accused of inciting it. that would have made it a more complicated case and harder to prove. so there was a tactical decision there. they counted on violence. even at one point talked about, we have the insurrection act to deal with what happens if people object to you keeping -- staying in office. which means using the u.s. military on the streets of america. >> yep. >> against everything except the insurrection act. >> it's crazy to suggest something so casually, to have the u.s. military just deployed in the streets when you grab power illegitimately like that. it's classic fascism. >> did this indictment deal with the issues of th

. >> harry dunn and daniel hodges were in the overflow room.t about the admonition from the magistrate judge not to talk or consult with any of the other witnesses or co-conspirators or to interfere with a juror? some of the other -- some of your colleagues, other attorneys whom we have spoken to, thought was unusual for this district. >> not unprecedented, but they have gang cases. it is unusual. the big thing to me, andrea, was the fact that the judge and the magistrate already had conferred. normally, you would take another hearing just to set when you would do the schedule. obviously -- this is what's really unusual -- they have huddled in advance. the judge has made clear her preferences and wanted the magistrate to begin to put them in place from this very first appearance. >> harry, thanks so much. garrett and ken, i don't know how you are still on your feet. you are amazing. both of you. we thank you. we gave you chairs. >> we appreciate that. >> thank you. >>> cashing in. billionaire donald trump using his third criminal indictment to

police officer harry dunn, metropolitan police officer daniel hodges, and former sergeant -- were allthouse seated in the overflow room while the hearing took place. nbc justice report ryan riley spoke with all three of them immediately after the hearing. hodges said the arraignment, quote, put a smile on my face. while dunn called it a mile marker in the process of holding trump accountable. >> definitely was emotional, definitely was intense. at one point i looked down, my watch started going off, i look at my heart rate it was over 100 beats a minute. surreal but definitely needed along the way for what we've been fighting for all along is accountability and justice. >> separately sergeant ganel shared a statement with nbc news that reads in part this, not prosecuting is far riskier than having no consequences for the allege power grab attempts. justice and the rule of law must win for our democracy to survive. officer harry dunn will be a guest coming up on "morning joe." joining us now founder of the conservative website the bulwark, our friend charlie sykes. charlie, great to se

police officer daniel hodges, crushed and screaming in a revolving door, crushed by a pro-trump mob innel leading into the u.s. capitol, outside a rioter pummeled another officer with a flagpole as he was being dragged down the steps of the capitol. the justice department said about 140 officers were assaulted that day. among them, caroline edwards, she testified to congress she was knocked out during the riot, only to come to and then be teargassed. >> there were officers on the ground, you know, they were bleeding. they were throwing up, they were, you know, they had -- i mean, i saw friends with blood all over their faces. i was slipping in people's blood. >> the justice department arrested 1,069 people for the capitol insurrection. of them, 350 defendants were accused of assaulting, impeding or resisting officers. and of those accused of opposing officers, at least 51 were convicted. another 104 defendants pleaded guilty. joining me now, charles ramsey, he led the police forces here in washington, d.c. and philadelphia. chief ramsey, there has been some criticism from republicans t

we also heard last hour from officer daniel hodges, an officer for mpd.talked to our colleague andrea mitchell and explained what it would be like to have to attend the trial of the former president when it comes to this indictment. mind you, hodges was crushed between a stolen police shield and the frame of one of the doors in the capitol building. he testified against the rioter who did just that. watch this. >> it never really goes away. there hasn't really been a day that's gone by where i haven't thought about it. partially because i pay attention to the news and how it's continuing to impact the current events, and partially just how burned in my memory it is. so the trial is definitely going to bring some of that up for people, but it's necessary. >> reporter: so it's necessary, and that's the comment i've been getting from officers i've been talking to, including one who was a former capitol police officers who told me minutes before i came on with you, chris, he's really seriously considering trying to go tomorrow to try to be at the front and ce

officers daniel hodges, harry dunn and former sergeant were inside the courthouse watching the arraignmentured on january 6th said, quote, put a smile on my face. dunn described how watching trump in court reopened old wounds physical and emotional. >> definitely was emotional, definitely was intense. at one point i looked down at my watch and started going off, my heart rate was over 100 beats a minute. >> joining me now, "washington post" deputy national editor and msnbc political analyst philip rucker and civil rights attorney, former brooklyn prosecutor charles coleman. phil, we have heard these officers speak many times about how the attack changed their lives. why was it so important for them to be in the courthouse for this arraignment? >> well, chris, because i think for many of them, there was a feeling that there was finally some justice here for their role that former president played in perpetuating the lies about the 2020 election, which is, of course, what motivated so many people to show up at the capitol that day and commit the violence they did in front of the police offic

that is familiar to many and another in d.c., a metropolitan police officer a man by the name of daniel hodgesember this photo and this video where he was screaming out in pain as he was crushed between a stolen police shield and the door frame of the capitol on that day. he testified in this very courthouse in august of last year against three of the criminal defendants who were accused of storming the capitol, being a part of that riot on that day. he described them as being part of the cult-like control that donald trump had of his supporters so those are just some of the folks that will be inside the courthouse on this day. i've got to tell you standing outside the court building right now, it is a striking scene and none of those massive protests that some had feared would happen. there is certainly a ton of security, but here in washington, d.c., one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country where you find the white house and this has become a tourist attraction with tons of visitors not just from here, but from around the world coming to get a glimpse. they will not see th

also in the courthouse capitol police officers harry done and police officer daniel hodges who was pinnedween two doors on january 6th as rioters entered the capitol. telling us they were there as citizens just to see justice served blaming the former president for inciting the riot with his words. >> it's a necessary step on the road to path to justice and accountability. it was good to see former president trump facing accountability just like any other person in this country would if they committed the crimes that he did. >> reporter: the most consequential case ever brought by the department of justice will ultimately be heard by judge tukin who has delivered some of the most serious sentences in connection to january 6th. trump quickly leaving the way he came, heading back to the airport before taking off to new jersey. trump speaking from the tarmac in the rain. >> this is the persecution of the person that's leading by substantial numbers in the republican primary and leading biden by a lot. so if you can't beat him you persecute him or prosecute him. >> reporter: the next hearing